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Monday, June 21, 2010

OFALY'S SHANE DOOLEY EARNS A DRAW AGAINST GALWAY

Galway and Offaly will meet again next Saturday after their thrilling Leinster SHC semi-final finished level at Croke Park.
Shane Dooley earned a replay for the Faithful County with a long range free in stoppage time.
Offaly stunned the pre-match favourites with three first half goals to open up a seven points lead, but Galway hit back with strikes in the second half from Joe Canning and Ger Farragher.
John McIntyre thought he had secured the win over his former county when Canning and Iarla Tannion drilled over late points, but Dooley scored twice at the death to rescue Offaly in front of a crowd of 25,260.
Galway reeled off the first four points of the game, but Offaly were ahead by the 15th minute.
Damien Hayes, Ger Farragher (2) and Iarla Tannion all swept over points to delight the Tribal following.
But it soon became evident that the Connacht side's defence could be exploited, and a fired up Offaly side did just that.
It was in the 12th minute that Shane Dooley cut in front the right, and when his shot was blocked, Joe Brady gathered to crash to the net from close range.
Offaly had the lead for the first time, but they weren't content to sit on it. They continued to press forward, and added points through Brian Carroll and Joe Bergin, before Shane Dooley cracked home a second goal on 20 minutes.
He turned his marker in alarmingly comfortable fashion before slotting low to the net from a difficult angle.
And when he added a free soon afterwards, the Faithful had turned a four point deficit into a four point lead.
Joe Canning finally escaped the shackles of David Kelly to slot his first point from play, but with Stephen Egan and Derek Moran solid at the back, there was little room to manoeuvre for the other Galway attackers.
Paul Cleary's booming clearance set up the third goal in the 26th minute for full forward Bergin, who rounded Shane Kavanagh to slot past Colm Callanan for a 3-4 to 0-7 lead.
Dylan Hayden and Brady swapped points with Farragher and Aongus Callinan late in the half, and Offaly turned around with a 3-7 to 0-11 lead.
But Galway made a devastating start to the second half. Farragher and substitute Niall Healy cut the deficit to three within two minutes of the restart.
Then came a 2-2 salvo in the space of four minutes. Cyril Donnellan knocked the ball back to Canning to smash to the net, and it was Farragher who finished to the net after Aongus Callanan's shot had been kept out by James Dempsey.
Offaly were reduced to 14 men when substitute Daniel Currams received a straight red card for a challenge on David Burke in the 46th minute, but they scored the next three points, through Dooley, Dylan Hayden and Bergin, to narrow the gap to a point.
There was nothing to separate the sides as they headed for a gripping final quarter, with Canning, for the second time, scoring exquisitely from a sideline cut, only to see Rory Hannify and Dooley bring the sides level.
Canning's long-range effort, and a second for Tannion, eased the Connacht side two clear in the dying moments, but Dooley emerged as the saviour, bringing his tally to 1-7.